DES MOINES , Iowa -LRB- CNN -RRB- The 2016 Republican presidential race in Iowa got its unofficial start Saturday with a marathon of speeches , giving close to a dozen potential candidates a chance to introduce -LRB- or re-introduce -RRB- themselves to a core group of caucus-goers roughly one year before the contest .

Immigration and Islamic extremism took front and center as the White House hopefuls sought to test-drive their stump speeches . On style , it was Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz who saw strong receptions from the audience , though support for a wide number of candidates was expressed in the hallways after the event .

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie also sought to establish a deeper bond with Iowa . The Hawkeye State receives outsized attention in presidential years thanks to its first-in-the-nation status during the primary season .

Marathon time

For the 10-hour day of back-to-back speeches , `` the candidates '' -- as they were called -- joined other high-profile Republicans at Hoyt Sherman Place , an old , intricate theater built in 1877 that also became the first public art museum in Des Moines .

Billed as the Iowa Freedom Summit , the event was co-hosted by Citizens United and Rep. Steve King , a revered lawmaker who represents the northwestern part of the state and has considerable clout among the more social conservative and Christian right faction of the party .

It was no secret that it was considered a cattle call for the presidential race . Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee , for example , said that the reason he ended his Fox News show was for a bigger goal he has in mind .

`` It was n't just so I can go deer hunting every weekend , I can assure you that , '' he said .

Others were more blatant .

`` I am a potential presidential candidate , yes I am , '' former Hewlett Packard CEO Carly Fiorina told CNN .

Even Palin angled to get in on some of the action , teasing ahead of her appearance Saturday that she was now seriously considering a run . And real estate titan Donald Trump told reporters Saturday that he 'll make his decision before June .

`` I 'm the one person who can make this country great again , that 's all I know , '' he told reporters Saturday . `` Nobody else can . ''

Palin , in her remarks , was less forward . Ticking through a somewhat dizzying and hard-to-follow speech , Palin suggested that the country is ready for a woman leader -- just not Hillary Clinton .

`` Hey Iowa , can anyone stop Hillary ? '' she said , prompting the audience to cheer . `` To borrow a phrase , yes we can ! ''

The class of 2016

The speakers , who were typically allotted 20 minutes , used a bulk of their speeches to share their own personal upbringings . Ben Carson and Christie talked about their strict but sharp mothers , while Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz talked about having pastors as fathers .

Other more well-known names in Iowa -- like former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum who won the state 's caucuses in 2012 and Huckabee , who won in 2008 -- tried to remind Iowans why they picked them in the first place , dipping into their personalities but also focusing on the issues .

Given King 's firebrand credentials as an outspoken opponent of illegal immigration , it was no surprise that problems at the border became a focal point in much of the speeches Saturday .

Carson , a retired neurosurgeon , argued `` there would n't be people coming in here if there was n't a magnet pulling them in , '' suggesting there should be criminal punishment for employers who hire undocumented workers .

The main target in the immigration battle , however , was President Barack Obama 's executive action to delay deportation for up to five million undocumented immigrants . Or as Palin put it , in her folksy swagger , Obama 's decision makes him seem `` like an overgrown little boy who 's just acting kinda spoiled . ''

Speakers railed against the President 's pledge to use his `` pen and his phone '' to work around Congress , with immigration as just one example of what many called the president 's `` overreach . ''

That was punctuated when DREAM Act Coalition protesters interrupted Rick Perry 's speech , leading to one arrest and theater full of Iowans trying to drown out the demonstrators ' chants .

The potential candidates also warned about what they see as a dire path for the country , in particular when it comes to foreign policy , a theme that , along with immigration , also seems poised to become a flash point in the 2016 presidential race , unlike in 2012 .

Santorum argued that the growth of ISIS is a consequence of the `` isolationism '' and `` weakness '' from the Obama 's administration . Cruz , like several speakers , said the President will fail in the war on terror if he refuses to use the words `` radical Islamic terrorism . ''

Huckabee blasted Obama for devoting more time to climate change in the State of the Union address than talking about terrorism .

`` A beheading is a far greater threat to Americans than a sunburn , '' Huckabee said .

The issues

There was plenty of the usual Iowa charm on stage , speeches with pig analogies and corn references . And there was more than one reference to how people in Iowa are somehow taller than average .

Shown on a big screen above the stage was an image of a red barn sitting on a green hill surrounded by white fences . Steve King 's name -- in all caps -- was plastered across banners on the stage , as well as the podium .

The contenders also dished out a bevy of red meat , blasting Obamacare , Common Core , the media , Hillary Clinton and the $ 18 trillion debt . Cruz won huge applause for proposing to place 110,000 IRS employees on the southern border , joking that they 'll do a better job at deterring illegal immigration than anything else .

Giving a shout out to the state 's newly elected U.S. senator , Joni Ernst , was also a popular item on the agenda for the potential candidates . Nearly all of them referred to her as their `` friend , '' and almost equal amount of affection and time was dedicated to the state 's other beloved senator , Chuck Grassley .

Walker , who , like Cruz , paced the stage back and forth as he spoke , delivered an impressive speech that honed in on his record as governor . He talked about implementing voter ID laws , and he painted himself as the valiant warrior who took on the public employees and won during the collective bargaining rights debate of 2011 .

He also did n't forget to mention that he 's been elected three times in the past four years .

Shortly after his speech , two men , both from Council Bluffs , talked outside about how they were wowed by Walker 's remarks .

`` If he could do on a nationwide scale what he did in Wisconsin , this country would be , '' one man , Michael Patomson , started to say , before his friend , Bill Hartzell , interjected : `` Transformed . The country would be transformed . ''

The reception

Many attendees had a hard time picking just one favorite in the line of potential contenders . Several mentioned Fiorina as a surprise hit .

`` There was just a pantheon of people to listen to , '' said Eric Rosenthal of Cedar Rapids .

`` Rick Perry was better than last time I heard him -- that 's good . He needs it , '' said Ernie Rudolph of Dallas County , Iowa .

Christie also saw a warm reception and contested the idea that a Republican governor of a blue state who has a `` Jersey guy '' reputation will not connect with voters in Iowa .

`` That somehow I 'm too loud , I 'm too blunt and I 'm too direct , '' Christie said , dismissing the criticism as `` conventional wisdom '' from Washington pundits . `` They 're wrong . ''

Still , he was noticeably different from his usual style . His demeanor was toned down and he read from his prepared remarks on the podium , a stark contrast to his preferred off-the-cuff method .

Some of the chatter in the hallways and to reporters also featured two potential contenders who were n't there : Jeb Bush and Mitt Romney .

Trump put it simply : `` Mitt had his chance . He should have won and he choked . '' As for Bush : `` We 've had enough of the Bushes . ''

Sens. Rand Paul and Marco Rubio , as well as Gov. Bobby Jindal , also skipped the event , but given that it 's year ahead before Iowans start to caucus , it 's unlikely that missing one event will hurt them .

Saturday 's event was more of a curtain raiser , giving the first glimpse of what will likely be a competitive Republican primary .

Walker , as he closed his speech , offered a pledge that will likely be mirrored by several of the speakers on stage over the next year : `` I 'm going to come back many more times . ''

CNN 's Adam Levy contributed to this report .

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Republicans gathered in Iowa to offer a first glimpse of the 2016 presidential campaign narratives

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Immigration and terrorism were two of the most common issues discussed

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Scott Walker and Ted Cruz received strong receptions from the audience